Iga Swiatek explained in a statement on social media that he was symbolically suspended for one month by agreement with the ITIA after it was shown that a positive for trimetazidine was due to a contaminated sample of melatonin in Cincinnati. He has eight days left on his suspension after missing three tournaments on the Asian tour.
This is the statement from Iga Swiatek:
“The topic I’m going to tell you is something difficult and I haven’t talked about it in the last two and a half months. Now I can and I hope this video will explain it, because I want to be transparent with you and make you understand what has passed recently.
On September 12, I was informed that a doping sample had tested positive. It was taken on August 12, before the tournament in Cincinnati. This caused me great surprise and great distress. First, I did not understand how this could happen, because the tests showed the lowest level of trimetazidine, a substance that neither I nor the people around me had heard of.
It was a sense of injustice in the first turbulent weeks and that’s why we immediately teamed up with ITIA. A very low concentration was found which suggested that the sample was contaminated due to a contaminated supplement or drug. In the following tests, we controlled all the medications he was taking and it showed that the melatonin he had been using for a long time before the Cincinnati tournament was contaminated.
It was surprising to hear, but it also explained where the key was. After we discovered this, we had to prove that the medicine was contaminated. Melatonin is needed for my travels, jet-lag and stress, it helps me sleep. After finding the source of the problem, we need time to draw conclusions, which is what is happening now.
On September 12, I was temporarily suspended, which prevented me from defending my ranking on the Asian tour. It was a result of the situation, but the most important thing for me was to prove my innocence. Now it will all be over. I was given a symbolic one-month suspension of which I have completed twenty-two days, with eight remaining. Now I can start the clean season to play tennis.
This situation has been the most complicated in my life. I was able to come back to play in the WTA Finals and the Billie Jean King Cup, which made me feel positive again and pleased with myself. It’s something that will always stay with me, but it made me stronger. Returning to training after this situation destroyed me. I cried a lot and the worst was the doubts about what would happen to my career and how it would all end. About whether he can play again.
I thank my family and my team, the people who stayed by my side from the beginning. Everyone helped me find the source of the problem and I will always be grateful for that. The situation made me stronger, because I wanted my career to be an example. I have shown the values of an athlete and I felt that this situation could affect the image that I have built up over the years.
So I hope you understand what happened. It’s something I can’t control and can’t stop things from happening like this. I hope you will understand and continue to support me, because without the support of the followers I will not have the strength to continue the fight. Now I have fought the hardest fight of my life and I hope you will continue to support me.”
Source: La Verdad
I’m Robert Maynard, and I am a passionate journalist with experience in sports writing. For the last few years, I have been writing for Today Times Live. My main focus has been on sports-related stories and features. With my strong background in journalism and extensive knowledge of the industry, I am able to provide readers with well-crafted pieces that are both informative and engaging.
